Scientists: Don't hand gesture at Oktoberfest
Researchers have warned tourists visiting Oktoberfest not to use hand gestures when ordering drinks at the annual beer festival.Psychologists say cultural differences in the use of hand gestures could lead to misunderstandings... and the terrible consequence of you getting served an extra beer.
A team from the University of Alberta looking at physical gestures found that unlike most countries people in Germany use their thumb when making counting movements.
This means that if you hold up three fingers when ordering your beers, you will get four drinks. And after that round you are not going to stand a chance of remembering the rule when ordering the next one.
Unfortunately in other (non drinks ordering) situations the miscommunication can have more serious consequences.
One of the researchers, Elena Nicoladis, said she'd had her own lost-in-digital translation experience while riding on Berlin's transit system.
"I asked for directions on the U-Bahn to an older woman and she told me to get off in four stops, so I said, 'ja, vier' and held up my four fingers," she said.
"She went off on a tirade saying 'nein, nein, vier' and held up the conventional gesture (using her thumb and three fingers)."
LINKS
University of Alberta
One of the researchers, Elena Nicoladis, said she'd had her own lost-in-digital translation experience while riding on Berlin's transit system.
"I asked for directions on the U-Bahn to an older woman and she told me to get off in four stops, so I said, 'ja, vier' and held up my four fingers," she said.
"She went off on a tirade saying 'nein, nein, vier' and held up the conventional gesture (using her thumb and three fingers)."
LINKS
University of Alberta
